Motel Pinup 1

Every year for ten years now there has been a gather of film photographers in Northern Michigan called Photostock. There are so many great things about this gathering, the people, the talent, the beauty of Northern Michigan, the list goes on. One of the things I’ve enjoyed about it is the kitschy roadside motel that has been the epicenter of most gatherings, The Birchwood Inn.

Most participants stay at the Birchwood and we’ve been an ever increasing percentage of this sold out weekend. The Birchwood was originally a corporate retreat for a large company that looks straight out of the Mad Men era. Now it’s a roadside motel that still has that vintage feel. I’ve always appreciated this about the rooms, some of which are especially kitschy.

Being a fan of Chas Krider’s Motel Fetish I was enthralled with these rooms as a setting for pinups. On a couple of occasions we’ve had models at Photostock and I was lucky enough to shoot some pinup sets at this location which is quite well suited for it. Here’s the first of a mini-series of my Motel Pinups.